Felt boot



(No Model.)

S. G. ALEXANDER.

FELT BOOT.

Patented Feb. 23; 1886.

2% I g 2 INVENTUR WITNESSES Attorney n. wsmzs Pholo-Uhoga mr. Washmgkan.o. c

' (preferably of SAMUEL G. ALEXANDER, OF DETROIT,

SHOE COMPANY,

MERINO PATENT ()FricE.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE OF KENNEBUNK, MAINE.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFTCATION Application filed January forming part of Letters PatentNo. 336,542. dated February 23, 1886. 2'7, 1885. Serial No. 154,122. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, i!; may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. ALEXANDER, of Detroit, county of \Vayne,State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FeltBoots; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists of the combinations of devices and applianceshereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a felt boot, partly in sectionand partly in elevation, illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 illustratesthe process of making the boot with my improved feature incorporated.Fig. 3 is a sep arate view of a knit or woolen fabric, such as is shownincorporated with the boot in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged fabricembracing the instep; Fig. 5, aboot embracing the fabric at the heel andinstep.

My invention consists, essentially, in combining with a felt boot a knitor woven fabric wool) with the heel portion of the boot, or with anyother particular part of the boot-as, for instance, the toe or theinstep-the same serving to greatly re-enforce and strengthen the boot atthe point or points where it is liable to excessive wear.

Heretofore in the manufacture of felt boots it has been customary tomake them entirely of felt, either with or without the heel or otherwearing parts being re-enforced by extra thicknesses of the felt; orwhere the knit or woven fabric has been combined with the felt thisfabric has been in the form of a complete wool stocking. This lastprocess, however, of incorporating the complete stocking entailed aconsiderable expense beyond what is essential for the wearing-parts, andmore particularly the heel and adjacent parts are the only portionswhich derive any particular advantage by the incorporation of the wovenor knit fabric.

In carrying out my invention, A is the felt body of the boot. Brepresents a knit or woven fabric, preferably ofwool. This fabric l isincorporated with the felt boot in the manner I will now proceed todescribe, and forthe purposes of this description the said fabric willbe presumed to be a knit or woven wool fabric. I first put upon the form0 one or more thicknesses of wool or wool-bat, or felt and hardenedwool'bat, as shown at D. I put the fabric B over the form upon the feltor bat D and tit it up snugly. I then proceed in the usual manner to laythe bats over the form and fabric according to the usual processes formaking felt boots. The subsequent operation of felting incorporates thewool-bat or felt D and the fabric B with the other material. Aconstitutes the usual body of the boot, so that the whole will form anintegral mass, as shown in Fig. 1, wit-h the fabric embedded within ythe body of felt. This fabric being of wool, will readily full in unisonwith the other material of which the boot is composed. The result is anarticle which is very materially strengthened and stiffened at the heel,and is capable of greater wear without breaking along this section.

It is of course apparent that while the heel is the only portion whichusually needs strengthening, and consequently the only portionillustrated, yet the same fabric might, if desired, be incorporated atthe toe or at the instep, or

beneath the ball of the foot, or in any particu v lar part which issubject to unusual wear.

The fabric B is preferably woven or knit quite loosely, so as to leave avery open mesh to facilitate the incorporation of the wool-bats infelting. This is not absolutely essential, however. So, also, where avery loosely woven or knit fabric is employed, it might be composed ofcotton or other similar material, inasmueh as a loose fabric of thatcharacter would, to a limited extent, be capable of reduction with thewoolen bats in the process of fulling.

I would also in the drawings the have it understood that while fabric Bis shown as incorporated between two surfaces of felt, it may be withequal facility incorporated with the felt and itself form the interiorsurface of the boot; or it may felt and itself form boot at the heel. inthe first instance be incorporated ,with the the exterior surface of theThis would be accomplished by putting the fabric diemployed it in thisrectly contiguous to the form, instead of first interposing a layer ofwool-bat, and in the fulling. I prefer, however, to make the same asshown in the drawings.

This invention is shown a felt boot; but I would have it understood thatby the term boot I comprehend shoes, stockings, or slippers, theinvention pertaining, as a matter of course, to all alike.

This fabric may, as shown in Fig. 4, be made so as to embrace, also, theinstep, and I have manner.

as connected with The resulting manner.

What I claim isgrally with the body of the felt, substantially asdescribed.

2. A felt boot provided at its heel or other Wearingpoints with asection or sections of knitted orwoven fabricincorporated integrallywith the felt between its inner and outer surfaces, substantially asdescribed.

3. A felt boot having a section of fabric felted and fulled with theboot in the region of the heel and instep, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification the presence of twowitnesses.

SAMUEL G. ALEXANDER.

\Vi tn esses: JNO. D. NORTON, G. E. WALDo.

